EastEnders star Charlie Brooks speaks out after Janine's secret deal

EastEnders star Charlie Brooks has shared the first teasers of Janine Carter's dramatic return – warning that the scheming character is still up to no good.

Janine reappeared in one of the closing scenes of Thursday's episode (5 November) as she was seen having a secret meeting with a mystery man.

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Although the exact circumstances were ambiguous, we saw Janine briefly look through the contents of an envelope that the guy handed to her. Satisfied by what she saw, she then passed over her own envelope, which was seemingly stuffed full of cash.

Hopefully, there won't be too long to wait for further answers – as next week's episodes see Linda Carter rocked by a surprising discovery, which leaves her adamant that she needs to see Janine…

Speaking about her return, Charlie enthused: "I always love coming back to Janine. She's an exciting character to play, and it's always fun to discover what she’s been doing and what she's been up to.

"Seeing everyone back at the studio, and working with Kellie [Bright, who plays Linda] again, has been amazing. It always feels like home when I go back.

"I can't believe it's been four years, as it feels like much less time has passed for me!"

Related: EastEnders airs mysterious return of iconic character

Asked whether we could see a reformed Janine this time around, she laughed: "I don't know if anyone wants to see a reformed Janine ever! So we can rest assured that we are leaning into the true nature of who Janine is. As always, it's about survival for her."

It's no secret that Linda will be leaving EastEnders early next year – and it seems that Janine's brief comeback could form part of her rival's exit plot.

Charlie continued: "It was so amazing to see the whole crew and cast. One of the reasons I was coming back was to be part of Kellie's storyline, as we had such a great time working together last time.

"I've known a lot of the cast for many years, and that brings a nice sense of familiarity and peace when I go back.

"It also allows playfulness because it's familiar and it feels safe. Being in that environment and having done it since I was 17 is why I feel like I can be quite brave with Janine because I'm surrounded by great people."

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Summing up why Janine is so fun to play, Charlie stressed the importance of keeping her three-dimensional.

She said: "I always like trying to understand a little bit more about her each time I play her, and I think the 'why' is so important. She's a lot of things, but she's also a super fun character to play.

"She's very camp and I have a lot of fun with her. Janine is also deep, and she's got a lot going on, so it's always interesting to explore that."

See next week's EastEnders spoilers:

- EastEnders' Mark and Lauren are caught out again – and total chaos unfolds

- EastEnders reveals Nancy birth chaos amid dramatic week for the Carters

- EastEnders' Suki and Eve rocked by surprise arrival in new adoption drama

- EastEnders' Janine makes return to drop life-changing bombshell on Linda

- EastEnders kicks off new Linda and Janine story in 44 spoiler pictures

EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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